Report on the Quality of life in European cities, 2023

This report presents the main findings from the sixth survey on the quality of life of European cities. The survey covers 83 cities across the EU, European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, the United Kingdom, the western Balkans and Türkiye and allows for comparison with the last edition of the survey, conducted in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in Europe at the beginning of 2020, and Russian’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine may have had an impact on the way people perceive quality of life in the city where they live. These crises have placed immense stress on urban infrastructure, healthcare systems, economies and social dynamics. Lockdowns, restrictions and reduced tourism hit the residents and economies of European cities hard. The ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has led to the displacement of many individuals, both internally and externally. European cities became destinations for these displaced people, adding pressure on resources and services. The results of the 2023 exercise show that overall satisfaction across European cities has declined compared to the satisfaction levels recorded in 2019, but remains high, with almost nine out of ten people reporting to be satisfied with living in their city. Amid the overall decline, results confirm what was already observed in 2019, that is significant improvements in perceived quality of life in cities in eastern Member States.